$242K in smuggled cash seized at AZ border

All photos courtesy of Customs and Border Protection

NOGALES, AZ (CBS5) -

Several Mexican nationals were arrested earlier this week in separate incidents for allegedly attempting to smuggle a total of $242,700 in unreported U.S. currency into Mexico through the Mariposa Port.

Officers conducting routine inspections of travelers departing the U.S. on Monday selected a van driven by a 37-year-old Mexican man for additional inspection. They said they found $213,400 of unreported currency in 12 packages hidden behind the vehicle's air conditioner control panel.

On Sunday, officers selected a SUV driven by a 24-year-old Mexican woman for additional inspection before departing the U.S. They found two packages containing $29,300 of unreported currency inside the gas tank.

The vehicles and cash in both cases were processed for seizure. The pair was arrested and turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations.